The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Camellia rosthorniana, which was discovered in 1991 as a seedling selection in a controlled planting of Camellia rosthorniana (unpatented) in Kawasguchi City, Japan. The varietal denomination of the new variety is xe2x80x98ELINAxe2x80x99.
The genus Camellia is included in the family Theaceae which comprises about 25 genera shrubs and trees, mostly tropical and subtropical in origin, and native to the northern and southern hemispheres. Camellia comprises more than 80 species of evergreen shrubs or trees, many of which possess desirable ornamental characteristics.
Camellia rosthorniana Hand.-Mazz (1925) is a shrub growing 3 m tall, generally having narrow to broad elliptic leaves with blunt to long acuminate apices, 2.5 to 4.2 cm long and 9 to 18 mm wide. Flowers are white, pedicellate, 1.1 to 1.4 cm across, with 5 to 7 petals. Camellia rosthorniana is a shrub widespread and common throughout Guizhou and Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan Provinces, China. The plant is evergreen. Leaf color is dark green depending on light intensity.
The new variety was discovered as a seedling in a controlled planting of Camellia rosthorniana and differs from its parent in having pink flower buds as well as pink at the base of the encasing exterior flower petals, and larger flowers and an upright growth habit with significantly smaller leaves than the species. Asexual reproduction of the new variety by stem cuttings performed in Saitama Prefecture, Japan; Lewisberry, Pa.; Vacaville, Calif.; Irvine, Calif.; and Fulshear, Tex.; have confirmed that the distinctive characteristics of the new variety are stable and transmitted to succeeding generations.
xe2x80x98ELINAxe2x80x99 is distinguished from its parent and all other varieties of Camellia rosthorniana of which I am aware in its production of attractive pink buds and flowers with reddish-pink colored outer petals, as well as larger flowers and smaller leaves than the parent.